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"Another rule of thumb you can use to identify the people of your culture is this: They perceive themselves to be members of a race that is fundamentally flawed and inherently doomed to suffering and misery. Because they're fundamentally flawed, they expect wisdom to be a rare commodity, difficult to acquire. Because they're inherently doomed, they're not surprised to be living in the midst of poverty, injustice, and crime, not surprised that their rulers are self-serving and corrupt, not surprised to be rendering the world uninhabitable for themselves. They may be indignant about these things, but they're not surprised by them, because this is how they expect things to be. This makes as much sense to them as having their food under lock and key." My Ishmael

New book from Daniel Quinn! If They Give You Lined Paper, Write Sideways "One of the most troublesome questions I've been asked--and it's been asked hundreds of times--is: 'Where do these strange ideas of yours come from?' In the beginning, I thought it was just the usual where-do-you-get-your-ideas? question that all authors receive. My readers soon set me straight. Read more ... Excerpt 1 Excerpt 2 Excerpt 3

Check out the News and Information Announcements...

Spread the Word! - The Friends Of Ishmael Society

"What you do is teach a hundred what I've taught you, and inspire each of them to teach a hundred. That's how it's always done" - Ishmael, p. 248

Many readers of Daniel Quinn's work, including Ishmael, My Ishmael, the Story of B, and Beyond Civilization, have told their families and friends about his books and ideas, heeding Ishmael's advice on changing minds. Now, for those who wish to, there is a reader-initiated effort to speed up and amplify the process of changing minds.

The Friends of Ishmael Society is an organization focused on publicizing Daniel Quinn's work and ideas. It was originated by, and is organized and coordinated directly by, readers who were inspired to help spread the word. This is an independent organization, and Daniel Quinn and ishmael.org are not involved in its activities. The Society offers several ways in which you can help, which are displayed on their Help Us page. However, there are four main ways in which you can help spread the word!


1. Let the Friends of Ishmael Society Know About Action Items
   
2. Use, Create And Share Tools To Increase Readership and Teacher Usage
   
3. Start And Run Local Ishmael Groups
   
4. Donate To Or Request Funding From The Society
   

Action Items

The Ishmael in Action section of the Friends of Ishmael Society website tells the stories of how a diverse range of readers, from business leaders and musicians to teachers and doctors have tangibly changed their realities based on the message they found through Ishmael. Now they need your help to make this section really shine!

Do you know of an artist, teacher, businessperson, or professional who has changed his or her life or practice after reading Quinn's work? Have you seen Ishmael or Quinn mentioned on TV or in the news? Do you know of tribal businesses or sustainable communities influenced by Quinn? Do you know of any upcoming events or conferences which will involve Quinn's ideas? If so please let them know at action@FriendsOfIshmael.org.



Tools to Spread the Word

The Tools section of the Friends of Ishmael Society website offers flyers, pamphlets, signs, and many other tools and ideas on how to increase readership of Quinn's work, as well as increase its usage in schools throughout the world. This is a place where readers and groups around the world can share tools and ideas to spread the word. All tools on the site are free, and you are welcome to download any of them, customize them as you wish, and use them.

In addition, you can help by creating more tools and sharing them with others. Make an Ishmael bumper sticker. Take pictures of your Ishmael display table at an event. Do you have a flyer or pamphlet that you have made to promote Quinn's work? Did you read or teach Ishmael in class and want to let others know how important it is for teachers to use it in their classrooms? Or do you just have a general idea about how the Society can make more people aware of Ishmael's message? If any of these describe you or your group, please let them know at tools@FriendsOfIshmael.org so that your ideas and tools can be posted for others to share.



Local Ishmael Groups

Many readers ask "What do I do now?" after reading Quinn's books. Well, one great first step is to band together with other likeminded readers in your community. The Friends of Ishmael Society serves as one coordination point for those who wish to find or start a local group. Several cities already have groups, which you can find at the Find a Local Group page. However, many more cities do not yet have groups listed.

If you know of an existing group that is not listed, please let others know at the Post Existing Group page. If there is no group in your city, please take the initiative to start one! Many assume that this is a large responsibility, but it is actually very simple to start and run a Local Ishmael group. In fact, all of the information you need is on the Start New Group page. Furthermore, if you need any help at all, please feel free to contact the Friends of Ishmael Society at groups@FriendsOfIshmael.org and they will give you any help you need in starting a group in your area and finding members.



Donating or Receiving Funds

The Friends of Ishmael Society Fund is collecting donations from those who wish to contribute monetarily towards the cause of spreading word of Ishmael throughout our culture. The Society is working towards becoming an established nonprofit organization, and will offer funds to groups and individuals who wish to use them to help promote Quinn's work.

If you wish to donate, please visit the Fund's Donation Page. If you wish to request funds for a specific project, please contact the Fund at fund@FriendsOfIshmael.org. Please realize that as the Friends of Ishmael Society is very new, funding is quite limited at this time. However, with the help of readers throughout the world, The Friends of Ishmael Society hopes to be able to support many wonderful projects in the future to help spread the word.

Finally, if you have any other questions on spreading the word, feel free to visit the Friends of Ishmael Society Contact Page or contact Howard Ditkoff at howhow84@hotmail.com or at howard@FriendsOfIshmael.org.

Thank you for helping to spread Ishmael's vision!